Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the most recent figures for the number of farmers participating in (a) the Entry Level Environmental Stewardship scheme, and (b) the Higher Level scheme; and what percentage of the total number of farmers those figures represent.

Lord Henley: (a) As at 4 January 2011 there were 41,017 participants in Entry Level Stewardship.
	(b) As at the same date, there were 6,859 participants in Higher Level Stewardship. (The majority of these will be underpinned by an Entry Level Stewardship agreement.)
	This represents around 39 per cent of the total number of farmers who have currently applied under the Single Payment Scheme.
	Participants in all our agri-environment schemes, which include Entry and Higher Level Stewardship, total nearly 57,000, which represents 54 per cent of the total number of farmers who have currently applied under the Single Payment Scheme.

Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have specific targets for take up by farmers of the Entry Level and Higher Level of Environmental Stewardship schemes.

Lord Henley: Natural England, which delivers agri-environment schemes for Defra, has a corporate plan target for uptake of all agri-environment schemes, including Entry and Higher Level Environmental Stewardship, of 70 per cent of available agricultural land in England by March 2011.
	Higher Level Stewardship is a competitive scheme targeted to producing greater, but often locally specific outcomes. It does not have a specific area/uptake target.

Animal Health

The Duke of Montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to take forward the recommendation of the England Advisory Group on Responsibility and Cost Sharing on animal health (the Radcliffe report) that there should be an England partnership board within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to identify and implement cost sharing where practical.

Lord Henley: Ministers are still considering the advisory group's recommendations. An announcement will be made by April 2011 as committed to in the structural reform plan.

Animal Health

The Duke of Montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the feasibility study commissioned by the European Commission on possible measures for a Cost Responsibility Sharing Scheme for animal health in Europe to be published.

Lord Henley: The European Commission expects the contractors to complete the feasibility study by the end of April 2011. They have yet to agree a timetable for publication of the final report.

Armed Forces: Retired Officers

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the decision to give priority to applicants from the civil service over retired officers for appointment as regimental secretaries was made; whether the decision has been endorsed by ministers; and whether serving civil servants have priority over serving officers.

Lord Astor of Hever: Restrictions on external recruitment to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have been in place since November 2009. This was approved by Ministers as part of a range of savings measures.
	As civilian military support function posts, vacancies for Regimental Secretary appointments are not filled by serving members of the Armed Forces. However, the MoD is pursuing a waiver which, if approved, would allow external applicants to be considered at the same recruiting stage as those within the civil service.

Armed Forces: Trident

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the long term cost estimates of the proposed Trident missile replacement.

Lord Astor of Hever: There are no plans yet to develop a replacement to the Trident D5 missile, which we expect to remain in service until the 2040s, and we do not anticipate decisions on a D5 replacement being required during the life of this Parliament. There is therefore no further long-term estimate of the potential cost of a replacement missile beyond that published in the 2006 White Paper (CM6994) The Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Audit Commission

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to abolish the Audit Commission; and when it is anticipated that the abolition will take effect.

Baroness Hanham: A first consultation on the details of a new audit framework is planned for early in 2011, and the Government envisage that it may subsequently publish a draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny, ahead of the final introduction of legislation to Parliament. Following such consultation and scrutiny it is the Government's intention to introduce the necessary legislation at the earliest opportunity.
	The Government have stated that reforms to the local audit regime are likely to take effect from 2012-13. However, it will take account of the responses to the planned consultation on the new local audit framework and will review the implementation timetable in the light of these views.

Banking

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects on bank profits of quantitative easing; and whether they have made bank remuneration committees aware of that effect.

Lord Sassoon: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England holds operational responsibility for conducting the asset purchase facility (APF), which includes quantitative easing.
	The overall aim of quantitative easing (QE) was to avoid the substantial risk that inflation would undershoot the target in the medium term. The Bank of England has published several assessments of the channels through which QE is expected to work, such as the Quantitative Easing Explained. These can be found on the Bank of England website Bank of England¦Monetary Policy¦Quantitative Easing Explained¦Impact of Asset Purchases.

Banks

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings were held by Ministers with chairmen and members of the remuneration committees of major United Kingdom banks in the last three months.

Lord Sassoon: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	The Government are in discussion with the banks to see whether a new settlement can be reached whereby smaller bonuses are paid than would be paid otherwise and there is greater transparency in relation to remuneration than hitherto. If the banks cannot commit to such a settlement, the Government have made it clear to them that nothing is "off the table", and the Government will keep the both Houses informed of all relevant policy developments

Benefits: Disability

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of chronically sick and disabled persons who will have their income reduced as a consequence of projected cuts in public expenditure.

Lord Freud: As individual incomes may be affected by a range of policies across government, it is difficult to estimate how many disabled people may be affected by changes in public expenditure.
	The spending review 2010 set departmental budgets for each government department up to 2014-15. At the spending review, the Treasury made a qualitative assessment of the likely impact of the spending review on different groups, including disabled people. These assessments were considered when decisions were made. The Treasury published the document, Overview of Impact of the Spending Review 2010 on Equalitiesalongside the spending review announcement.
	We have a summary of the changes which affect disabled people on the Department for Work and Pension's website at www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/spending-review-2010.
	It is the responsibility of each department to equality impact assess the impact of its policies on protected groups including disabled people, and to make these assessments publicly available at the most appropriate time. DWP policies are still being formulated and equality impact assessments will be published at the appropriate time.

Birds: Farmland Populations

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Lord Henley on 18 January (HL Deb, cols 330-2), how they advise landowners to protect farmland birds against predatory mammals and birds that are themselves protected.

Lord Henley: Where landowners identify there is a possible predation problem, with protected birds or mammals having a significant impact of farmland bird populations, they are advised to seek the advice of the relevant statutory nature conservation advisers before taking any action. For mammals and birds protected under the Habitats Regulations 2010 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, there exist established systems of licensing that in some circumstances allow action to be taken in relation to the control of protected species for the purposes of protecting farmland birds or other species. The statutory nature conservation advisers will be able to advise what action can be taken and under what circumstances.
	Many specialists, however, consider that providing habitat of a suitable quality and quantity for declining bird species will have a greater influence in assisting increases in farmland bird populations than tackling predation from mammals and other birds. Indeed adverse predator impacts can often be linked with habitat degradation. For example, prey populations may be particularly threatened by the additional pressure of predation, if their favoured habitats have been poorly managed.

Civil Service Code

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will amend the Civil Service Code to add a prohibition to the section that reads "carry out your fiduciary obligations responsibly (that is make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently)" on not reallocating budget underspends and instead returning slippage money to the Treasury.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Civil Service Code sets out at a high level the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. The updated Civil Service Code published by the coalition Government in November 2010 included a specific new reference to civil servants' fiduciary obligations as set out in the Cabinet Office structural reform plan, and the requirement on civil servants to make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently is already clearly set out.

Civil Service: Salaries

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many and what proportion of civil servants earn (a) less than the Superannuation Act 2010 (Repeal of Limits on Compensation) Order 2010 minimum annual salary of £23,000, and (b) more than the maximum of £149,820 used for the calculation of redundancy payments; and what were the previous actual and legislatively proposed figures.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: More than 50 per cent of the Civil Service, over 265,000 people, earned less than £23,000 on a full-time equivalent basis on 31 March 2010, the latest date for which figures are available.
	Significantly less than 1 per cent, fewer than 150, of the Civil Service, earned more than £149,820 on a full-time equivalent basis on 31 March 2010, the latest date for which figures are available.
	Previous arrangements for Civil Service compensation did not provide proportionately greater benefits for the lowest paid or restrict benefits for the highest paid. Therefore there are no previous actual or legislatively proposed figures.

Criminal Justice: Compensation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue a practice direction to criminal courts ensuring judges declare any defendant acquitted at trial, or appellant whose conviction has been quashed as unsafe on appeal, as innocent at the close of the court proceedings; and whether they will ensure that appropriate compensation and aftercare is provided to such persons.

Lord McNally: Practice directions in the criminal courts are a matter for the Lord Chief Justice, not the Government.
	It has long been an important feature of our criminal justice system that a person charged with an offence is presumed to be innocent until proved guilty. A person found not guilty is to be treated as innocent, as too is a person whose conviction has been quashed on appeal.
	A person whose conviction is quashed on appeal may apply for compensation under Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Entitlement to compensation under that provision will be considered shortly by the Supreme Court in the case of Adams.
	The Ministry of Justice funds the Miscarriage of Justice Support Service (MJSS) to help those who have had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal. The MJSS provides help with issues such as healthcare, accommodation, finance and relationships. The MJSS' funding has recently been extended for a further year to March 2012 and the Ministry of Justice is working with it to improve the support they provide.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Thornton on 4 March 2010 (WS 184) and the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 13 October 2010 (WA 74), whether they consider that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is "incredibly cheap", as described by the HFEA Chair in the Guardian on 11 January.

Earl Howe: The cost effectiveness of a regulator is a relative matter; any judgment should have regard to alternative arrangements that could be made.
	As was made clear in the department's review of its arm's-length bodies, Ministers believe that the functions currently performed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority could be performed more cost effectively if transferred and co-ordinated elsewhere.

Employment

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospects for any increase in youth employment in the retail sector in 2011-12.

Lord Freud: The department does not produce its own labour market forecasts, though for business planning purposes it makes use of projections for jobseeker's allowance volumes that are aligned to the independent claimant count forecast published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). OBR released its latest forecast on 29 November 2010. This included an assessment of the prospects for overall employment-suggesting a broadly stable picture in 2011 followed by improvement from 2012-but not a breakdown by age group or sector.

Employment: Ex-offenders

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to encourage businesses to offer work placements, training and jobs to offenders pre- and post-release.

Lord McNally: The Government's Green Paper Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders, published on 7 December, has set out our proposals to engage with employers to work with offenders, and to identify senior business leaders to champion the role employers play in rehabilitating offenders through skills development and work.
	This means involving employers in the design of the curriculum for offender learning and skill development, and increasing the number of employers providing work and training in prison, building on the success of workshops run by Cisco, Bovis Lend Lease, Travis Perkins, Timpsons and others. On release from custody, offenders would also be eligible for early entry to the DWP work programme where providers will prepare them for work and link them up with employers. More generally, we are also looking to increase opportunities for apprenticeships, which enable learning on the job with an employer.
	We are consulting with employers about how best to implement these proposals and encourage greater participation from the business sector.

Energy: Fuel Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a fuel price stabiliser.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will set a cap on fuel prices.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to cut tax on petrol.

Lord Sassoon: As I noted in the Answer I gave on 24 January, Official Report, Col WA 124, the Government asked the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to undertake an assessment of the effect of oil price fluctuations on the public finances. The OBR published its report on 14 September 2010.
	The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review. The Government are considering the OBR's assessment as part of the usual Budget process.

Environment

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the outcomes of the National Litter Convention.

Lord Henley: The litter convention brought together over 120 partners from business, local authorities and civil society. Delegates debated the issues, shared examples of best practice and agreed a set of principles in tackling litter. A new initiative on litter, Love Where You Live, was announced. This aims to substantially reduce the amount of litter in England by 2020 and is expected to launch publicly in spring 2011.

Environment

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other governments (a) in the European Union, and (b) outside the European Union, about their experiences of deposit refund schemes for drinks containers.

Lord Henley: There has been no direct contact with other governments but their experiences have been considered as part of our research and that done by other organisations, and through our contact with businesses that operate in countries with deposit systems.

Equality Act 2010

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with reference to the implementation of the Equality Act 2010, what plans they have to ensure that public bodies do not discriminate against minority groups.

Baroness Verma: On 12 January 2011 the Government announced that the public sector equality duty, part of the Equality Act 2010, will be commenced on 6 April 2011.
	The equality duty consists of a general duty and specific duties.
	The general duty requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to:
	eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;advance equality of opportunity between people of different groups, andfoster good relations between people from different groups.
	The approach of the new equality duty focuses on transparency. Public bodies will be required to set specific, measurable equality objectives and to publish information about their performance on equality so that the public can hold them to account.
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for assessing compliance with and enforcing the equality duty.

EU: Association Agreements

Lord Janner of Braunstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent conversations they have held with other European Union member states about using the European Union's Association Agreement with Algeria to encourage it to recognise Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government have not had any recent conversations with EU partners on this specific issue. But the EU position is set out clearly in the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions of December 2010. They noted that: "Peace should lead to the full integration of Israel in its regional environment, along the lines set out in the Arab Peace Initiative".

EU: Association Agreements

Lord Janner of Braunstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent conversations they have held with other European Union member states about using the European Union's Association Agreement with Tunisia to encourage it to recognise Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government have not had any recent conversations with EU partners on this specific issue. But the EU position is set out clearly in the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions of December 2010. They noted that: "Peace should lead to the full integration of Israel in its regional environment, along the lines set out in the Arab Peace Initiative".

EU: Levies

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was levied in penalties by the European Commission on United Kingdom central and local government in 2008-09; and what effect those penalties will have on central and local government services.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect the penalties levied by the European Commission on the United Kingdom in 2008-09 will have on the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Union budget.

Lord Sassoon: The United Kingdom has never incurred a financial penalty under Article 260 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (or under the former Article 228 (ex Article 171) of the Treaty Establishing the European Community).

EU: UK National Sovereignty

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Howell of Guildford on 21 December 2010 (WA 285-7), which areas of United Kingdom national sovereignty have been ceded since 1972 under the European Treaties to (a) unanimity, and (b) majority voting, in the Council of Ministers; which areas are now shared with the European Parliament; and which remain under the sole control of the United Kingdom Parliament.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The European Union may only act to the extent that the member states have decided to confer competence on it to do so. The extent of the EU's competences are set out in Articles 3-6 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). In respect of these competences, the ordinary legislative procedure, which involves qualified majority voting and co-decision with the European Parliament, is the standard procedure for decision-making unless a special legislative procedure is otherwise specified. Different arrangements apply to the common foreign and security policy where the adoption of legislative acts is excluded.
	A list of the articles that outline the areas of competence detailed within the treaties as being subject to unanimity, common accord and consensus is provided at the end of this response.
	With the exception of areas where the EU has exclusive competence, even where competence has been conferred on the EU, this does not preclude action by the member states. For example, although the EU has competence to act in the areas of research, technological development and space, the exercise of that competence shall not result in member states being prevented from acting. Furthermore, where under Article 6 TFEU the treaty has conferred competence on the EU to carry out actions to support, co-ordinate or supplement the actions of the member states in certain areas such as education, tourism and civil protection, it does so without superseding member states' competence in these areas.
	There are many areas of our national life where the UK remains the final authority, such as the functioning of Parliament itself and the deployment of British Armed Forces.
	Articles outlining areas of competence subject to unanimity, consensus or common accord are:
	In the Treaty on European Union:
	Article 7(2)
	Article 14(2)
	Article 15(4)
	Article 19(2)
	Article 22(1)
	Article 24(1)
	Article 31
	Article 41(2)
	Article 42(2)
	Article 42(4)
	Article 46(6)
	Article 48(3)
	Article 48(4)
	Article 48(6)
	Article 48(7)
	Article 49
	Article 50(3)
	In the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union:
	Article 19(1)
	Article 21(3)
	Article 25
	Article 48
	Article 64(3)
	Article 65(4)
	Article 68
	Article 77(3)
	Article 81(3) sub-para 1
	Article 81(3) sub-para 2
	Article 82(2)(d)
	Article 83(1) sub-para 3
	Article 86(1)
	Article 86(4)
	Article 87(3)
	Article 88(3)
	Article 89
	Article 92
	Article 108(2) sub-para 3
	Article 113
	Article 115
	Article 118 sub-para 2
	Article 121(2)
	Article 126(14)
	Article 127(6)
	Article 140(3)
	Article 148(1)
	Article 153(2)(b) sub-para 4
	Article 153(2)(b) sub-para 3
	Article 155(2) sub-para 2
	Article 192(2) sub-para 1
	Article 192(2) sub-para 2
	Article 194(3)
	Article 203
	Article 207(4) sub-para 2
	Article 207(4) sub-para 3
	Article 215
	Article 218(8) sub-para 2
	Article 219(1)
	Article 22(1)
	Article 22(2)
	Article 222(3)
	Article 223(1) sub-para 2
	Article 223(2)
	Article 244
	Article 246 sub-para 3
	Article 252 sub-para 1
	Article 253 sub-para 1
	Article 254 sub-para 2
	Article 257 sub-para 4
	Article 262
	Article 292
	Article 293(1)
	Article 294(9)
	Article 301 sub-para 2
	Article 305 sub-para 2
	Article 308 sub-para 3
	Article 311 sub-para 3
	Article 312(2) sub-para 1
	Article 312(2) sub-para 2
	Article 329(2) sub-para 2
	Article 331(2)
	Article 332
	Article 333(1)
	Article 333(2)
	Article 341
	Article 342
	Article 346(2)
	Article 352(1)
	Article 355(6)

Falkland Islands

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 10 January (HL5574), (a) what stone-crushing equipment has been shipped to the Falkland islands in the last five years and (1) what maximum-sized stones it could crush and (2) what sizes of aggregates it was capable of producing, (b) what was the unit cost of producing and transporting the aggregates to the Falkland Islands by sea, and (c) whether the stone-crushing equipment transported to the Falkland Islands could have been used to produce aggregates for repairing their runway.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) purchased a Terex Pegson mobile crusher plant in May 2005 and a Terex Powerscreen Chieftain 600 mobile screening plant in December 2007.
	The maximum size of stone that can be crushed is 125mm and the resulting aggregates are sized 40mm to dust, 30mm-l0mm clean. They are used to produce small volumes of general purpose low-quality aggregate typically used for minor repairs to local stone tracks.
	The fine aggregates (sand) were procured from various quarries in the UK at a cost of £58 per tonne as there are no suitable naturally occurring fine aggregates in the Falkland Islands.
	The sand was shipped to the Falklands by the Falkland Islands Resupply Service (FIRS). This service is a funded resupply sailing. Loading at Marchwood and discharging at Mare Harbour are both carried out by existing military port operators for which there is no charge.
	Coarse aggregates were provided from a local quarry owned by the Falkland Islands Government. The MoD stone crushing equipment was not used to repair the Falkland Islands Runway as it was unable to produce the required volumes, range of sizes and quality of aggregate required for the project.

Flooding: London

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the flood defences for London.

Lord Henley: The Environment Agency carries out visual condition assessments and detailed engineering assessments of London's tidal flood defences at least twice annually. The Thames Barrier is assessed monthly during a test closure. Our Thames Estuary 2100 plan determines actions necessary to reduce the risk of flooding in London and the Thames Estuary until 2100, based on economic costs, benefits and flood risk.

Genetically Modified Organisms

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has received notification of the export of genetically modified mosquito eggs to Brazil by the United Kingdom company Oxitec for deliberate release experiments under EC regulation 1946/2003; if so, when they were notified; and whether they will provide a copy of the associated risk assessment.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, based on the export notifications sent to them under EC regulation 1946/2003, what were the dates of the exports of genetically modified mosquito eggs by the United Kingdom company Oxitec to (a) the Cayman Islands, (b) Malaysia, (c) Brazil, (d) France, (e) India, (f) Singapore, (g) Thailand, (h) the United States, and (i) Vietnam.

Lord Henley: Exports of genetically modified organisms are only required to be notified to the UK competent authority under regulation 1946/2003 if they are to be exported to a non-EU country for release into the environment. Movements of CMOs between EU member states are not covered by this requirement. Nor are exports to non-EU countries where the GMO is intended for contained use, as was the case in respect of the shipment of mosquito eggs by Oxitec to Malaysia, Brazil, India, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. The date of the export of GM mosquito eggs to the Cayman Islands for release to the environment was 4 November 2009.
	If importing nations wish to release GM mosquitoes descended from those under contained use they will do so under their own local legislation. Where the country of import is also a party to the Cartagena Protocol, an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms, it will be required to notify such a decision to the biosafety clearing house.

Government Departments: Budgets

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Government departments, agencies and contractors are required to ensure that their budgets and bids include the cost of providing appropriate training; and whether they reject bids by contractors when such training is not included.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: If the provision of training to departmental staff is part of the requirement for goods or services, this should be specified and is likely to form part of the evaluation process.
	In regard to contractors' training of their staff working on government contracts, potential contractors' technical and professional capability to perform a contract is assessed at the selection stage of a procurement. Contract management can be used to check that capability is sustained over the life of the contract.
	Public sector procurers should always ensure that their budgets include sufficient funds to meet the full costs of goods and services to be procured.

Government Departments: Expenditure Cuts

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will discipline those officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Trade and Investment who have disregarded their policy on spending restraint and their commitment to cost savings in public sector expenditure.

Lord Howell of Guildford: My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear since taking office that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s budget has to be spent carefully and wisely and that he will hold budget holders to account. He called together the acting chief executive of UK Trade and Investment and senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials to underline and reiterate the importance of this.
	All officials are governed by the Civil Service Code, which requires public money and other resources to be used properly and efficiently; and all expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the HM Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety.

Government Departments: Official Meetings

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice the Ministerial Code offers on Ministers meeting companies and individuals on ministerial business without a civil servant being in attendance.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: It is for Ministers to determine such attendance.

Government Departments: Procurement

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 20 December (WA 265), how they will keep Parliament informed of the economic value of the savings achieved as a consequence of the implementation of the recommendations made by Sir Philip Green in his review of the efficiency of government expenditure processes.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Sir Philip Green's recommendations have been taken into account as part of the current efficiency programmes already under way. Parliament will be kept informed on the outcomes of these programmes in the usual way.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to publish the future programme of the Behavioural Insights Team based in the Cabinet Office.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The programme is set by the team's quarterly steering board. Its current work programme for the beginning of this year includes a focus on health, money (in particular consumer empowerment) and the environment.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff work in the Behavioural Insights Team based in the Cabinet Office.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Behavioural Insights Team has seven members of staff and a director.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the budget of the Behavioural Insights Team based in the Cabinet Office during the current Spending Review period.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual budget of the Behavioural Insights Team in the Cabinet Office.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The team will be shortly setting its budget for the coming financial year. As part of our drive to improve transparency, the number of staff and staff costs will be published in due course.

Government Departments: Websites

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have proposals for the presentation on their web pages of details of services and products provided by contractors to departments and agencies in order to promote British organisations' ability to provide high-quality services and products.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In line with the Prime Minister's transparency commitments set out last May central government departments have been required to publish:
	All new central government ICT contracts over £10,000, online since July 2010;All new central government tender documents for contracts over £10,000 on a single website since September 2010, with this information to be made available to the public free of charge; andAll new central government contracts over £10,000 to be published in full since January 2011.
	Tender documents and contracts are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts Finder was made available to the public in early January and is the Government's single platform for providing access to public sector procurement-related information and documentation, including procurement opportunities, free of charge. Contracts Finder can be found at www.businesslink. gov.uk/contractsfinder/.
	Contracts Finder includes contracts awarded to all suppliers, regardless of nationality. As public procurement operates in open EU and international markets it would be inappropriate to restrict publication to contracts won by UK companies. Over time, greater transparency of opportunities, tender documents and contracts is likely to lead to significant benefits including increased competition and better value for money.

Government: Ministerial Memoirs

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a former Minister is entitled to publish a memoir about his stewardship in public office and to suppress public disclosure of his correspondence relating to the information and opinions contained in the memoir; and, if so, upon what basis.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Former Ministers intending to publish their memoirs are required to conform to the principles set out in the Radcliffe report of 1976 (Cm 6386), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
	Decisions on the disclosure of official information are made by departments in accordance with relevant legislation including the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Health: GP Commissioning Groups

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the value of the contract between NHS London and KPMG to help develop general practitioner commissioning consortia pathfinders; how long it is for; and what are the break points and penalty clauses.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the success criteria in the contract between NHS London and KPMG to help develop general practitioner commissioning consortia pathfinders; and what success fees are in it.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the key objectives of the contract between NHS London and KPMG to help develop general practitioner commissioning consortia pathfinders.

Earl Howe: This is a matter for NHS London. The noble Lord may wish to contact Professor Mike Spyer, interim chair of the board, for further information.

Health: Medical Practitioners

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (a) professors of general practice, (b) professors in secondary care medicine, and (c) consultants and general practitioners, there are in England.

Earl Howe: The NHS Information Centre does not identify professors of general practice or professors in secondary care medicine in its workforce census. The following table gives the number of consultants and general practitioners (GPs) in England as at 30 September 2009, the latest data available.
	
		
			 All Consultants and GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) in England 
			 2009 
			 All GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 35,917 
			 All Consultants 36,950 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures as at 30 September 2009
	1. The GP Data census do not capture data on numbers of professors of general practice.
	2. The job role of professor is also not used within Medical and Dental census payscale groupings. While there may be Professors counted within the census, it is not possible to separately identify them from other grades

Health: Social Enterprises

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many social or small enterprises applied for the contract won by KPMG to provide support for primary care commissioning in London.

Earl Howe: The department does not hold this information centrally. The noble Lord may wish to contact the Chair of NHS London direct.

Herbal Medicines

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 13 January (HL Deb, col 1529), how many people have died since 2000 from adverse reactions to (a) herbal medicines, and (b) prescribed drugs.

Earl Howe: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) run a spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting scheme (the Yellow Card scheme) which collates suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports from health professionals, patients and indirectly via the pharmaceutical industry. Since 2000 a total of 245,386 ADR reports have been received via the Yellow Card scheme; of these, 837 ADR reports have been received in association with herbal medicines. Since 2000 10,446 (4 per cent) ADR reports have reported a fatal outcome; of these fatal ADR reports, eight have been reported in association with herbal medicines.
	These data refer to ADR reports for all medicines and do not specifically relate to medicines obtained with a prescription. The MHRA's ADR database does not distinguish between how the medicine was obtained i.e. via prescription or over the counter.
	The number of reports received via the Yellow Card scheme does not directly equate to the number of people who suffer adverse reactions in the general population to medicines as this scheme is associated with an unknown level of underreporting. A specific factor with underreporting of herbal medicines is that healthcare professionals often may not be aware where their patients have been taking herbal medicines.
	It should be noted that healthcare professionals are asked to report suspected adverse reactions on a voluntary basis and the submission of a report does not mean that the reaction cited was definitely caused by the medicine or herbal.
	Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease being treated.

Higher Education: Overseas Students

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits arising from students from other countries studying in the United Kingdom.

Lord Henley: The Government welcome genuine students from other countries to study at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom. They contribute to the diversity of our campuses; support our research capacity as well as providing a valuable source of income. In higher education alone, students from outside the European Union contribute almost £2.2 billion a year in tuition fees. Higher Education Statistics Agency figures published earlier this month show that 405,805 students from outside the United Kingdom were enrolled at UK HEIs in 2009-10, indicating the high regard in which the UK higher education sector is held around the world.

Higher Education: Overseas Students

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the income derived by United Kingdom universities from students from other countries.

Lord Henley: Higher Education Statistics Agency data on institutional income for academic year 2008-09 indicate that higher education institutions in the United Kingdom received nearly £2.2 billion in tuition fee income from international students from outside the European Union. This is the latest year for which data are available.

House of Lords: Overnight Sittings

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask the Chairman of Committees whether there are any proposals to compensate staff of the House of Lords for extra working hours during the overnight sitting on 17-18 January.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Staff undertaking night duty receive either overtime or a flat rate allowance calculated on the basis of the sitting patterns of the House over a rolling period. The only exceptions are certain senior Clerks and Black Rod, who do not receive additional remuneration.

Immigration

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what responses have been received to the current UK Border Agency consultation on changes to the student immigration system.

Baroness Neville-Jones: On 7 December, we published a public consultation-'The Student Immigration System: A Consultation'. As of 17 January 2011 we have received over 22,000 responses through the online survey, postal and e-mail submissions. Officials of the UK Border Agency have also spoken directly with representatives of over 150 institutions and representative bodies to hear the views of the sector. We will publish the results of the consultation and announce our decisions on the reform of tier 4 in due course.

Immigration

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the long-term competitiveness of the United Kingdom of the proposed changes to the immigration system.

Baroness Neville-Jones: We carried out an extensive consultation on changes to economic migration and, in reaching final decisions, took account of the views of business, for example as regards intra-company transferees, prioritising tier 2 migrants over tier 1, and the needs of the scientific research community. We are also consulting on changes to the student visa system.

India

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 21 December 2010 (WA 296-7), whether they will now raise the specific issue of the Devadasi system with the Government of India and British non-governmental organisations; and whether they have estimated the numbers of girls involved from other sources.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We will include the issue of the Devadasi system in our ongoing dialogue on women's rights issues with the Government of India and with civil society organisations in both the UK and India. As the practice is formally prohibited it is difficult to obtain exact numbers, however Anti-Slavery International highlights official figures of around 17,000 women in Andhra Pradesh and 23,000 in Karnataka alone.
	The Department for International Development (DfID) has worked extensively to help tackle gender inequality and discrimination against women in India. The EU also funded a project on Choice, Dignity and Integration for Devadasi (temple prostitutes) and the socially excluded in Karnataka from January 2008 to December 2010.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Israel following the arrest of Dr Omar Abdul Razeq, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, at Salfit earlier this month; and whether they have been informed of whether he has since been released and his possessions returned.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We understand that Dr Omar Abdul Razeq was arrested on 11 January 2011 at his home in the city of Salfit. He appeared at court on 18 January 2011 when he was remanded in custody for a further eight days to allow additional time for questioning. The next hearing in his case will be held on 25 or 26 January 2011. No formal charges have yet been brought against him. We are not aware that his possessions have been returned to him or his family.
	Our consulate in Jerusalem continues to monitor the case and is in contact with Dr Omar Abdul Razeq's lawyer.

Israel and Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the position of European Union diplomats that east Jerusalem should be treated as the future capital of Palestine; and whether they will support that move.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We support the position set out in the December 2010 EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions that a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both Israel and Palestine.

Migration Advisory Committee

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 10 January (WA 404), when the members of the Migration Advisory Committee were reappointed; whether there was a press statement issued publicising this fact; why all non ex-officio members appointed are labour market economists; and, as there are no fixed criteria for appointing members, whether they will increase its capacity by the appointment of additional members with other migration experience.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The reappointment of the members of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) was announced in a news article on the UK Border Agency's website on 6 January. The appointment of labour market economists to these positions is consistent with the MAC's purpose, which is to advise on labour market needs and economic impacts in the context of the development of policy on migration. The Government has no plans to augment the membership of the MAC.

National Forest

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money has been provided to the National Forest Company in each year since its formation; and how much is planned to be provided for each future year.

Lord Henley: Since its formation the National Forest Company has received the following grant in aid from Defra and its predecessors:
	
		
			 Year £ 
			 1995-96 2,000,000 
			 1996-97 2,000,000 
			 1997-98 2,500,000 
			 1998-99 2,500,000 
			 1999-2000 3,100,000 
			 2000-01 3,300,000 
			 2001-02 3,550,000 
			 2002-03 3,700,000 
			 2003-04 3,785,000 
			 2004-05 3,271,000 
			 2005-06 4,200,000 
			 2006-07 3,400,000 
			 2007-08 3,350,000 
			 2008-09 3,600,000 
			 2009-10 3,310,000 
			 2010-11 3,350,000 
		
	
	The National Forest Company has been notified of its indicative allocations of grant in aid for the next four years:
	
		
			 Year £ 
			 2011-12 3,300,000 
			 2012-13 3,100,000 
			 2013-14 2,900,000 
			 2014-15 2,800,000

Northern Ireland Office: Press Statements

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 10 January (WA 406), why they ended the practice of routinely publishing their press statements' "Notes to Editors" on the Northern Ireland Office's media centre website; how members of the public can find the biographical details of those appointed to public bodies; and whether they will in future add those details within press statements.

Lord Shutt of Greetland: There has been no change in policy.
	The Northern Ireland Office will now, however, publish "Notes to Editors" on its website where they are included in a news release.

Pensions

Lord Boswell of Aynho: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportions of claimants of state retirement pensions (a) take their full entitlement on retirement, (b) defer their pension in favour of an enhanced pension taken subsequently, and (c) defer their pension in favour of a lump sum payment.

Lord Freud: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			 State pension on-flows in the six months to March 2010 by deferment status 
			  All No deferment Enhanced pension only Lump sum and increments Lump sum only 
			 All 371,500 338,500 11,700 4,400 17,000 
			 Male 173,200 162,600 3,700 1,500 5,500 
			 Female 198,300 175,900 8,000 2,900 11,500 
		
	
	Source: DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent sample.
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent sample rated in line with the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study total case load and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.

Religious Intolerance

Lord Elton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Howell of Guildford on 10 January (WA 400 and 415), whether, in determining what representations to make to the governments of other countries about discrimination, they regard a sustained exodus of members of a religious minority as one indicator of the extent of discrimination against members of that minority in that country.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Persecution of religious groups or minorities manifests itself in a variety of ways. A sustained exodus of members of a religious minority can be one indicator of such persecution or discrimination. But persecution of religious groups or minorities frequently manifests itself in a variety of ways. Our overseas missions have a responsibility to monitor the human rights in their host countries and routinely raise our concerns with their Governments. Where possible our embassies take action on individual cases where persecution or discrimination has occurred and lobby for changes in discriminatory practices and laws. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief.

Religious Intolerance

Lord Elton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Howell of Guildford on 10 January (WA 400 and 415), whether, in determining the priorities, care and vigour with which they promote the interests of religious minorities in other countries, they take full account of the history and the constitution of the United Kingdom.

Lord Howell of Guildford: In his speech on Britain's values in a networked world, on 15 September 2010, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary made it clear that the UK "must have a foreign policy based on values, as an extension of our identity as a society", and that we "should always seek to reflect the best of British society". This includes our tolerance of all religions in the UK. We reflect this internationally in the work the Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes to support the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief and the right to freedom of opinion and expression as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the full implementation of the 1981 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.

Schools: Inspection

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Hill of Oareford on 27 September (WA 460-1) and 8 November (WA 39) and the letters from HM Chief Inspector dated 21 July and 2 November 2010, how many school inspections were carried out by Ofsted in the years 2008-09 and 2009-10; and how many they estimate there will be in 2010-11.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Hill of Oareford on 27 September (WA 460-1) and 8 November (WA 39) and the letters from HM Chief Inspector dated 21 July and 2 November 2010, how many school inspections were carried out by contractors in the years 2008-09 and 2009-10; and how many they estimate there will be in 2010-11.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Hill of Oareford on 27 September (WA 460-1) and 8 November (WA 39) and the letters from HM Chief Inspector dated 21 July and 2 November 2010, how many people were engaged in each school inspection in the years 2008-09 and 2009-10; and how many they estimate there will be in 2010-11.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Hill of Oareford on 27 September (WA 460-1) and 8 November (WA 39) and the letters from HM Chief Inspector dated 21 July and 2 November 2010, how many days school inspections took including preparation visits and follow-up in the years 2008-09 and 2009-10; and how many they estimate there will be in 2010-11.

Lord Hill of Oareford: These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the noble Lord and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Schools: Private Schools

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage private schools that are registered as charities to offer more free places to poor pupils.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Charitable independent schools already deliver a wide range of benefits, not just in the high standards of education they provide, but also in the work they do in their communities, for example through outreach, partnerships with other schools, opening up their facilities, and bursaries to help the less well-off.
	The Charity Commission published Guidance for charities on the public benefit requirement in 2008. The legal basis of the commission's guidance has been challenged by the Independent Schools Council, and the Attorney-General has made a reference to the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery) inviting it to clarify the law that underpins the guidance. It would be inappropriate to comment further ahead of the tribunal's ruling.

Shipping: Ship-to-ship Transfers

Lord Condon: To ask Her Majesty's Government who they consulted in their review which led to the decision to designate the sea off Southwold, Suffolk, as the only area in the United Kingdom where ship-to-ship transfers of oil will be permitted from April 2011.

Earl Attlee: The Shipping Minister, Mike Penning, made a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 8 July 2010 (Official Report, columns WS17-18), announcing the review of the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010 and inviting all interested parties to set out their views on the regulations. The text of the Written Ministerial Statement was placed on the Department for Transport's website on that same day.
	Additionally, the Minister sent letters to a number of persons and bodies which had expressed, or were known to have, an interest in the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010, drawing their attention to the review. The Minister sent letters to 25 MPs, three Scottish Ministers, three industry bodies and one environmental non-governmental organisation.
	A broad spectrum of persons and bodies went on to make representations to the Minister in the course of the review. A summary table setting out the substantive points made in the written representations which were received by the Minister and at the meetings which the Minister held at the request of interested parties has been placed on the department's website and may be accessed via the following link: www.dft.qov.uk/adobepdf/173201/101207 Responses to review of ship-to-ship transfer regs 2010.pdf.
	A copy of the document has also been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Towing Vessels

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 24 November 2010 (WA 360), why their policy of ceasing the Maritime and Coastguard Agency emergency tender vessel contract and relying on the spot charter market as an alternative is not applied to the remaining general lighthouse authorities fleet.

Earl Attlee: The general lighthouse authorities deploy and utilise their fleet daily to meet their statutory requirements under the Merchant Shipping Act. The general lighthouse authorities have entirely different roles and responsibilities from those of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
	Trinity House has sought the advice of three independent expert maritime consultants, supported by Queen's Counsel legal advice, all of which showed that the use of the spot chartering market could not be relied upon to deliver its statutory duties.

Tunisia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of recent developments in Tunisia; and whether they and their European Union partners will assist in restoring the rule of law and democratic government.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Following the resignation of Ben Ali, Prime Minister Ghannouchi was asked by the interim president to form a government of national unity, the membership of which was announced on 17 January 2011. The Prime Minister also announced that elections would take place within six months under international supervision and a range of measures to broaden political representation and freedoms would be introduced.
	We hope that all Tunisians can work together to restore peace and improve governance and democratic accountability.
	On 17 January 2011 EU High Representative Catherine Ashton issued a joint statement with Commissioner Stefan Fiile which made clear that the EU stands ready to provide immediate assistance to prepare and organise the electoral process as well as the broader support necessary for a genuine democratic transition. We are in frequent contact with EU partners to ensure this commitment is implemented.

Tunisia

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current political situation in Tunisia; and what dialogue they will have with the interim government.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Following the resignation of Ben Ali, Prime Minister Ghannouchi was asked by the interim president to form a government of national unity, the membership of which was announced on 17 January 2011. The Prime Minister also announced that elections would take place within six months under international supervision and a range of measures to broaden political representation and freedoms would be introduced.
	We hope that all Tunisians can work together to restore peace and improve governance and democratic accountability. We are working with partners, including in the EU, to promote political reform. We will be seeking to engage the Tunisian authorities as soon as possible to facilitate this.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 2010 annual report of the Human Rights Association of Turkey; and what assessment they have made of its impact on Turkey's application for European Union membership.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government have not made an independent assessment of the report. The EU Commission makes its own assessment of Turkey's progress against the EU accession criteria and publishes an annual progress report. The 2010 report was published on 9 November 2010 and subsequently discussed by member states. It includes an assessment of human rights, noting that "Overall, some progress was made on observance of international human rights law. However, a number of reforms have been outstanding for several years. Legislation on human rights institutions needs to be brought fully in line with UN principles".

Uganda

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the tabling in the Ugandan Parliament of the Traditional Leaders Bill to ban traditional and cultural Ugandan leaders from participating in partisan politics.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government of Uganda tabled a bill on traditional leaders in Parliament on 17 December 2010 to give effect to Article 246 of the Ugandan Constitution which excludes traditional leaders from involvement in partisan politics. The bill is currently under consideration in the legal and constitutional affairs committee and a number of amendments, including deletion of some of the more contested clauses, were introduced by the responsible Minister on 19 January.
	Supporters of the Kabaka of Buganda have alleged that the bill is intended to reduce his influence, although we are not aware that any of Uganda's traditional rulers contest the constitutional provision that they should remain above partisan politics. We will continue to urge the Ugandan authorities to ensure that any new legislation strikes an appropriate and legitimate balance between regulation and protection of the right to freedom of expression.

Universities: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the projected change in income of United Kingdom universities.

Lord Henley: University income is made up of a number of funding streams from public, private and charitable sources. In terms of public funding, our reforms to higher education will shift the balance of resources for teaching from direct grant to institutions to funding that follows the choices made by individual students. This will provide strong incentives for institutions to focus on providing high quality teaching as efficiently as possible. Over time, popular and successful institutions will be able to grow and we expect new providers to enter the sector provided they can offer teaching to the high standards students will expect. We do not expect the overall income of the sector to reduce and we expect improved teaching quality and better informed students to have a positive impact on the economy. In recognition that the UK's research base is a vital national asset and critical to long term economic growth, funding for science and research programmes has been protected in cash terms in a ring-fenced budget for the spending review period. Around half of this funding currently goes directly into universities. The remainder goes to institutes, many of which are sited in universities, and to large facilities, many of which are used by university researchers.

Violence against Women Overseas

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they decided, and will develop, the role of the Minister responsible for dealing with issues relating to violence against women in the developing world.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what activities the Minister responsible for issues relating to violence against women in the developing world has undertaken; and whether the Minister maintains regular contact with (a) the Department for International Development, (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (c) the Ministry of Defence, and (d) other appropriate Government departments.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government believe that violence against women and girls overseas is an issue that needs to be addressed and that the UK can contribute by working with our partners in the developing world. In support of this, the role of the ministerial champion for tackling violence against women overseas was confirmed on 25th November 2010.
	The role is still in development but will be responsible for providing policy coherence and coordination across Whitehall, ensuring that violence against women and girls is fully integrated into our international work. The ministerial champion will represent the United Kingdom overseas, building our diplomatic efforts and raising the profile of this issue with international partners.
	The Department for International Development, along with the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Government Equalities Office, all work on tackling violence against women overseas. Ministerial responsibility for taking forward the UK's work overseas will continue to rest with relevant departmental Ministers and information on progress on this agenda is shared in bilaterals and at the inter-ministerial group on violence against women and girls chaired by the Home Secretary.

Volunteer Centres

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the England-wide Volunteering Infrastructure Programme will provide funds to existing as well as to new volunteer centres.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Volunteering Infrastructure Programme will connect people with local volunteering opportunities and support organisations to manage volunteers. The Government are currently considering the shape of the programme, including the eligibility criteria.
	There will be further announcements on the volunteering infrastructure programme in the coming months.

Water Supply: Toxic Chemicals

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent studies have been conducted on the quality of water in the aquifers that supply major cities in south Wales which may have been subject to leaching of toxic chemicals from Brofiscin Quarry.

Lord Henley: The major cities of South Wales are not supplied with water from aquifers. The public water supply is provided by above-ground reservoirs outside the catchment.
	Studies continue to be undertaken on the aquifer affected directly by the waste in Brofiscin quarry, which is not exploited for public water supply. The evidence to date shows that the waste is unlikely to impact on the good status under the water framework directive of the south east valleys carboniferous limestone block.

Young People: Custody

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the present entitlements under the Assisted Prisons Visits Scheme for families of young people in custody; when they were set; and when they are next due to be reviewed.

Lord McNally: The Assisted Prison Visits Scheme covers families of young people placed in youth offender institutions. The scheme entitlements are the same as for visitors and families of adult offenders in HM prisons. The specific entitlements are in the note below.
	An assisted family visits scheme is also provided for sentenced young people in secure training centres and secure children's homes which reimburses the young person's family for the cost of visiting them once a week.
	The Assisted Prison Visits Scheme has evolved over the past 60 years and is reviewed every year; this year jointly and in partnership with relevant prisoner's families and children's charities.